"So if there indeed was a big bang, wouldn't this mean that at the first billion years or so time was much faster, slowing down to what we have now."

One of the weird things about the universe is Dark Energy. As far as I know, no one really knows what it is, but it is causing an acceleration in the rate of expansion. Last I heard, astronomers thought that dark energy mostly inhabited the void of space, so as the universe gets larger and larger, the effect dark energy has on the expansion will get larger and larger as well.

"Also, I've always wondered if the gravity of our universe has always been the same, or if it's changed."

I can only guess, but I would think it is the same. If all the mass in our universe existed from the beginning, the gravity of the mass probably wouldn't change.

• Very interesting - highvoltage - June 28, 2001 - 20:48 UTC
  • In addition - mrobbins1 - June 29, 2001 - 18:45 UTC